


you've already won me over (in spite of me)

by ifthebookdoesntsell



Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, F/F, Secret Relationship, Smut, They never knew each other in high school, cadina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:15:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24889765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifthebookdoesntsell/pseuds/ifthebookdoesntsell
Summary: Cady and Regina don't mean to end up in the same place for Thanksgiving. Especially since all Regina plans to do for the holidays is study for her upcoming, end-of-semester final. It doesn't help that they've been dating for five months, have to stop themselves from saying I love you at almost every turn, and that their family and friends have no idea about any of it.In spite of everything, Cady wins Regina over, showing her that Thanksgiving is about more than just hating Columbus and eating too much food.(Or, the one with the secret relationship.)
Relationships: Cady Heron & Damian Hubbard & Janis Sarkisian, Chip Heron/Betsy Heron, Damian Hubbard & Janis Sarkisian, Kevin Gnapoor & Cady Heron, Regina George/Cady Heron
Comments: 17
Kudos: 76





	1. i know it's dangerous

**Author's Note:**

> listen, i know that it's june. but, it's also pride month, which means i can write as much gay fanfiction about anything i want. so, here's the obligatory cadina holiday au, with my little twist. i promise i'm writing everything else too, but i hope that y'all enjoy this and that is provides you some peace if you've had a bad day, a bad week, a bad month. i hope it makes you smile. 
> 
> as always, stay safe out there. <3 
> 
> (fic title from Head Over Feet. chapter title from What Have I Done by Dermot Kennedy.)

“ _Regina- fuck,_ I’m close, baby. I’m gonna-”

Her back arches, her hips bucking upwards against long, practiced fingers that continue to curl deep inside of her, urging her closer to the edge. Cady’s grip tightens slightly on strong shoulders, her fingers flexing as she desperately tries to stop herself from digging her nails into Regina’s skin.

Her moan is choked as it escapes her throat after trying to be contained, and her head falls back against the pillows when the two fingers that are the source of her current pleasure swipe over a spot that drives her absolutely wild.

Cady feels a grin against her neck, and she wants to retort _so badly_ , but Regina isn’t letting up one bit, so much so that even if she really tried to speak, she probably wouldn't get a single word out; she’s so close to falling apart. 

Regina thrusts faster, harder, deeper, and each time, she presses over the area she knows is most sensitive for Cady. Perfect pink lips part in a silent show of pleasure, her lungs searching for breath as her eyes squeeze shut, nothing but Regina’s gentle weight on top of her, the heat of the moment, and the wetness between her thighs tethering her to Earth. 

Cady’s orgasm rushes through her quicker than expected, her hips moving erratically in search of any more friction. It all feels like too much and not enough, and she wraps a leg around Regina’s waist, jerking up higher. 

Her stomach begins to quiver as Regina gently brings her down from her high, kissing at the smooth column of Cady’s neck as she continues to thumb at her clit and lazily pump in and out to work her girlfriend through. The softness of lips on her skin makes Cady shiver, and soon, she’s holding Regina’s head to her neck, turning her head and biting her pillow so that the occupants of the dorm next to her don’t file a noise complaint. 

Finally, she grows sensitive, and Cady gently recoils from Regina’s touch, silently telling her _no more_ as she falls back onto the sheets that will now surely need a wash. When Regina pulls away, she has an easy smirk on her lips, and Cady catches sight of it the second she cracks an eye open to look at the other woman. 

“Don’t look so proud of yourself.” 

Regina’s laugh is throaty and soft, simultaneously possessing all of the qualities of a nice breeze on a hot day and a warm blanket on a cold one. She rolls off of Cady and bites back a grin when her girlfriend whines at the loss of warmth, kissing her once to silence the sound of disappointment before she pulls the extra soft quilt that Cady keeps at the foot of her bed over them. 

“I’m just going to miss you.” Regina shrugs, wrapping Cady up in her arms. The casualness of the admittance makes the redhead’s stomach flip. “Wanted to show you how much. Make you think of me.” 

Regina snickers, a smug look on her face. 

Of course. That sounds more like her girlfriend. 

Cady rolls her eyes, laughing exasperatedly but unable to stay annoyed for long when Regina kisses her shoulder and snuggles in closer. “Are you gonna miss me?” Regina asks, clearly fishing for a _yes_ , when she ghosts her fingers over Cady’s bare stomach. 

“I guess.” 

Cady grins to herself when Regina makes an offended noise in the back of her throat. She turns onto her side to look at the blonde, and there’s something supremely rewarding at being able to pull so many emotions from the ordinarily prim and icy woman across from her. 

“Maybe we should go again,” Regina suggests, rolling back over so she’s on top again. “Just to make sure that you will.” Her normally sky blue eyes are dark with want, and it feels almost impossible for Cady to grab a breath. She’ll never get used to the way Regina looks at her, especially in these moments. 

“We definitely should,” Cady replies, already pulling Regina down for a deep kiss. 

***

Once they’ve gone again, twice to be really specific, Regina and Cady lie together, happy and sated, afraid to break the easy quiet between them. 

Cady is now holding Regina, tracing her fingers over the blonde’s crooked spine, over scars. They had only met this summer in July at some sophomore mixer at Northwestern, so Cady hadn’t been around for whatever accident had caused the only imperfection she could ever find in the most beautiful woman she’d ever met. All that she does know is that it serves as a good reminder that even Regina George is human. She skates her fingers over the white lines, brushing her lips against each one. They’ve only been together for the five months they’ve known each other, so she doesn’t know the story, not yet. 

She doesn’t know if she’s allowed to ask. 

“I _will_ miss you,” Cady hums, finally breaking the silence. She presses her body close to Regina’s once more and hooks her chin over her shoulder so she can say the words into her ear. She sees the corner of Regina’s mouth turn up from where she is behind her, and she can’t help but let the same expression broaden onto her face too. She’s always enjoyed making Regina smile. “I love home. And I _love_ Thanksgiving, even though Columbus can suck a big fat one. And... I also-” 

_-love you._

_Nope. Nope. Nope._

Cady kicks herself. She has a strict seven month rule for saying those three little words. Not that she’s ever gotten to seven months with anybody before. She would hate to mess it up with Regina before she gets there. 

She clears her throat, hoping her girlfriend didn’t notice her slip.

(She didn’t, there’s something about Cady that makes Regina feel like she’s simultaneously the most focused and unfocused she’s ever been. She’s just trying to resist the feeling of Cady pressed so close.) 

“I’ll also miss you," the redhead finishes her thought properly this time. 

“You’re sweet,” Regina says quietly, flipping over so that she can look into deep blue eyes. “I wish I loved the holidays as much as you.” 

“You can! Have fun with your family,” Cady says brightly, kissing Regina’s nose and throwing on the blonde’s hoodie from where it was thrown to the floor a few hours ago. 

“I wish,” Regina laughs out. “My mom wants to do some Friendsgiving thing. Apparently some people we don’t know will be there. So we can, as my mom said, _widen our circle._ I’m not leaving this place until the 27th at the last minute, and I told my mom she can go ahead first.”

“Just don’t meet some cute girl and fall for her once you do get there,” Cady jokes, poking Regina’s side. “I know somebody who would be very upset.” 

“Oh, do you now?” Regina plays along, looking around her bedroom in fake confusion. “Who could that possibly be? I have several girlfriends so I can’t really--” 

“You’re so annoying,” Cady groans. “Why did I decide to date you?”

“Because I have a rockin’ body, I do you really good in bed and I know your coffee order by heart.” 

“And you’re so modest too,” Cady teases before her expression turns somewhat serious again. “I just want you to have fun, okay?” Regina moves to shake her head, to tell Cady that she’s probably just going to study the whole time, but the redhead interrupts. “Do it for me?” 

Immediately, Regina agrees. She could never deny Cady anything. 

***

When it starts, Regina is able to tune out the sounds in the dorm next to her. The girl on her floor seems to take pleasure in blasting her music extra loud and having equally high volumed sex with her boyfriend, especially since break is technically underway and the RA on their floor went home for the holiday. She hears a particularly loud bang that sounds a lot like the headboard hitting the wall they share, and she actually thinks _good for her,_ since her neighbor has had to deal with her fair share of moans and babbling from Cady. 

But then the wall actually _shakes_ , and Regina jumps back. 

She shoves her desk to the other end of her room and shoves on her headphones, turning the music up onto the highest setting, but it doesn’t do anything. The sounds continue for hours on end, and, finally, Regina has had enough. 

Maybe going home wouldn’t be so bad. At least it would be quiet. 

***

“Yoohoo! Honey!”

Sabrina George is waving from the entrance of the house Regina has never been to before. The movement of her mother’s hand seems to span the entire width of the door way, and, as she walks up to the red-bricked, Tudor-style house, she notices a rather ugly apron that her mother is wearing on top of her clothes.

It’s only been since recently that her mother has learned to cook because of what happened just several months prior to her daughter’s second year at Northwestern, but Regina wasn’t aware that her interest had gone this far. 

Behind her, the Uber she rode in on jets away, crushing the snow under its tires, and the blonde wishes more than anything that she could chase after it and ask her to take her back to campus. She stands awkwardly on the curb for a moment, holding her duffel over her shoulder and hoping, praying really, that her mom brought her pillow from home. The car ride had made her back stiff, since she had been anxious the whole way, bracing herself at each red light. It doesn’t help that it’s snowing slightly. Wet roads have always made her worried, especially after--

Her mom lingers in the doorway for a little longer, but then she’s striding outside to help Regina inside, taking her bag from her, rubbing over her back gently and holding her hand to make sure she doesn’t slip on the snowy stairs.

“Are you feeling okay, baby girl?” Sabrina asks as gently as she can, knowing that Regina is sensitive about needing help. “I set your room for you, and I brought your pillow and your extra medication just in case you forgot it.” 

For some reason, the care with which her mother says those words to her makes Regina’s façade melt, and the second they’re in the door, she hugs her. Sabrina seems shocked for a brief moment, but then she recovers, hugging Regina back. 

“Thanks, Mom,” she whispers, ignoring the strain in her muscles when she pulls away and sits down to take off her boots. “I love your apron,” Regina jokes, pointing to the large turkey on the front and the checkered green print that the rest of the garment is made from. 

“It’s not exactly my style,” her mother concedes, gesturing to her designer jeans underneath. “But they take Thanksgiving seriously around here, and I respect that.” 

Regina nods, attempting to undo the zipper on her right boot. She’s turned directly toward her mom; so when a voice speaks behind her, she’s completely startled.

“Hi!” She can’t help the smile that broadens across her face when she sees a boy about her age wearing a matching apron to her mother. “You must be Regina.” He’s smiling welcomingly, but it’s obvious that he’s keeping his distance, waiting for her to make the first move towards any sort of physical gesture like a hug. “I’m Damian.”

“The sweetest boy that you’ll ever meet,” Regina’s mother adds. 

“I’m eighteen, Mrs. George,” Damian responds fondly, as if he’s had to remind her of this fact more than once in the past few days. 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Regina says as genuinely as possible, reaching her hand out for him to shake. “I don’t mean to intrude sooner than I was expected.” The last thing the blonde wants is to seem like a rude guest. 

“Nonsense! Having people over is great; it makes everything seem less quiet.” He gestures to the lack of, well, _anything_ that Regina is wearing that would suggest she even knows it’s a national holiday. “I take it that you’re not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving, huh? We had to really push your mom.” 

“Just feels a little weird this year,” Regina admits, though she doesn’t know if he knows the full extent of everything that’s gone on. 

“Don’t worry,” he says breezily. “We’ll have you basting turkeys and mashing potatoes in no time.”

“I’ll try my best.” Regina grins at her mom over Damian’s shoulder when the older George strides away with a wink. Absently, the blonde scratches at her neck, massaging over a particularly sore spot with the tips of her fingers. How she wishes Cady was here to do it for her. “I can help out as much as any of you need and keep out of your way when necessary. I can imagine it’s awkward to have a total stranger in your house.”

“Oh! It’s not my house--”

Damian is cut off by another figure appearing in the doorframe to her right, her hair dark and her clothes even darker. She’s wearing a ridiculous looking shirt that has the front of a turkey on it, and Regina is sure that if she turns around the tail end would be on the back. 

“Is this Mrs. G’s kid?” she asks skeptically, doing a once over of Regina. “I’m Janis.” 

_And I’m taken,_ Regina wants to say smartly, but she refrains. She doesn’t know what these people’s views are on anything. 

“Hey,” she says instead, discreetly doing a once over of the new girl in front of her as well as the walls of the house. There are pictures of animals everywhere, a photo that looks like younger versions of Janis, Damian, and a little redhead that for some reason looks extremely familiar. 

“Come meet Regina!” Damian calls into the kitchen, and she hears the pattering of footsteps on tile immediately. 

The first to walk out into the hall is a tall, lanky guy with a mop of dark hair. He moves nervously, his foot tapping in a way that reminds her of Gretchen. Oh, how she wishes her friend were here now, but apparently she and Karen are running late. 

The man finally steps closer to her. He introduces himself calmly enough, reaching his hand out not for a handshake, but a fist bump. 

“‘Sup? The name’s Kevin. Kevin Gnapoor.”

“Pretty much the smartest guy you’ll ever meet,” Damian interjects, pointing to the letters _MIT_ that are emblazoned on his collared shirt. 

“Smartest _guy,”_ Kevin emphasizes. “The smartest girl you’re ever gonna meet is--”

“Regina?!” 

Regina freezes at the sound of a familiar voice. 

None other than Cady Heron has come around the corner, a mug of what looks like hot tea in her hand. She’s wearing a flowy dress that’s patterned with the colors of autumn leaves, and she looks as beautiful as ever. Her midnight eyes widen with surprise at the sight in front of her: Regina with pink cheeks from the cold, dressed in a soft flannel and jeans and her glasses. Cady can tell her girlfriend’s back is tense just from looking at her, and, more than anything, she wants to reach out, but neither of them know what’s allowed. This is all so much sooner than they planned.

They try to ignore the way they have already planned to meet each other’s families. 

“Hey Cady,” Regina says back lamely. 

“You two know each other?” Janis asks, looking between the shock written on both of their faces. 

“We’ve met at Northwestern,” Cady says, uncertainty creeping into her voice when she sees the way Regina’s eyes go wide with fear. 

“Just a passing acquaintance. Friends, even. Talked at a few parties.” Regina doesn’t look at Cady, her eyes instead darting to the faces of the others in the room. 

“What’s this we hear about parties?” An older, male voice asks, rounding the corner as well so that the front entrance feels more and more crowded. His hand is in the grasp of a woman’s, and Regina immediately recognizes the both of them from the few pictures she saw on the wall. 

Of course, the little red-haired girl in the photos is Cady. 

“Hey, I’m Chip.” He reaches a hand over Janis’ shoulder to give Regina’s hand a shake. 

“And I’m Betsy.”

“Regina,” she says back, reaching a hand out to Cady’s mom as well. “Thank you for having me.” 

“Of course, dear. Your mother is a good friend to us,” the woman says kindly. 

“From what I hear, you’re a good friend to her too.” Regina looks around at all of the different faces, and she doesn’t mean for the words to come out of her mouth, but she can’t help it. “I don’t mean to be rude, but are you all related, or…?” 

“No!” Janis laughs, and she gestures for them to move into the living room, which is through another entryway, so that there’s more for everyone to stand comfortably. “Actually, none of us kids are related.”

Kevin opens his mouth to say something, but Damian cuts him off. “That spit pact from eighth grade doesn’t count.” 

“Says _who?”_ Kevin asks indignantly. 

“Says every scientist ever, dummy,” Damian retorts back. 

They look like they’re about to begin a debate that they’ve had before, but Cady moves between the boys to break it up before they can. 

“This place is actually the Herons'.” The brunette clarifies, pointing to Chip and Betsy and actively ignoring the way Damian and Kevin continue to squabble quietly while simultaneously trying to get Cady onto their side. “Cady is their daughter, and the rest of us met in middle school. We’ve been friends ever since." Janis looks around the place wistfully. "Normally my parents would be here too, but the flights from New York are grounded because of the snow.” 

“That makes more sense,” Regina says honestly. She can feel Cady’s eyes on her as she shifts uncomfortably from foot to foot. Her back is really beginning to ache. “I don't want to be rude, but would it be okay if I went to unpack and maybe take a shower? The car ride was almost three hours.” 

“Of course,” Betsy says gently. “I was going to go and help your mother in the kitchen, but I can show you to your room if you want?”

“I’ll do it,” Cady tells her mom, pushing Damian and Kevin apart one last time, giving them each a look.

“Thanks dear,” the older Heron woman says gently. “Regina, I’ll make you a snack, okay? How does a sandwich sound?”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Regina says back automatically. “I don’t mean to be any more work than what you've already got planned.” 

“It's no trouble at all,” the woman promises, already shooing Regina and Cady upstairs and heading into the kitchen. 

They're back in the front hall now, and Regina tries to bend down to grab her bag, but Cady beats her to it, checking to see if they’re out of sight before she presses over the spot where she knows her girlfriend's spine curves. “I can tell you’re in pain. There’s a shower attached to your guest room, and there’s a seat so you can relax. Please use it.” 

Regina tries to deny that she's hurting, but Cady has none of it, pulling her along up the stairs slowly until they make it to the room she’ll be staying in. Inside, it’s spacious enough, and the decor is pretty simple. It’s clear the designer stuck to a simple, light color palette, and Regina appreciates the way light seems to bounce off every surface. 

Cady places her bag onto the wooden desk that’s in the corner, and she unzips it without asking permission and pulls out Regina’s pajamas. “Please take a shower for as long as you want, babe. I’ll come back with your sandwich when you’re done.”

Regina nods. She could never deny Cady anything. 

***

Regina has barely gotten dressed when she hears a knock on her door. 

“Come in,” she calls, pulling her hoodie over her head and sitting on the bed. Her back still aches, but the hot water made it feel slightly better. She notices the pills on the stand. She should take one before she goes to bed. 

“Hey.” Cady peeks her head around the door. “I brought your snack. My mom can’t stand knowing someone in her house might go to bed without eating something first. It’s ham and provolone. I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s perfect," Regina says, gratefully taking the plate from her girlfriend. 

Cady wanders further into the room, and she settles onto the bed next to her, smiling when she sees Regina take a bite. 

“You know,” the redhead starts, waiting for the other woman to turn around before she begins to speak again. “When I told you to have fun this holiday, I didn’t mean for you to go find me so that you could.” 

“And you’re saying I’m the immodest one?” Regina fires back, swallowing before bumping shoulders with Cady. “I didn’t plan for it to be this way. I didn’t even know our parents knew each other, and, besides, I have to-”

“ _-study_?” Cady guesses the end of her sentence. “Well yeah, you said that, but I know I can get you in the spirit.” 

"I'm sure you'll try."

An awkward quiet falls over them, the kind they haven’t felt since their first month of dating, and in the time Regina finishes her sandwich. Cady stays on the bed next to her, unmoving. The only sign of life is the way her fingers are tapping gently on the bedspread. In the end, they both speak at the same time, their thoughts clearly moving in extremely separate directions. 

“We can’t tell my mom-”

“-why didn’t you want to say anything?” 

Cady looks over in surprise at Regina’s words, and the blonde swallows audibly, gaining the courage to speak as quickly as she can. 

“My mom can’t know. Everything’s really messy right now, and this holiday needs to be awesome for her. Perfect, even. If I told her right now, I think she’d fall apart.” Regina’s eyes finally meet Cady’s. She lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when she doesn’t see anger in them like she thought she would. 

“Is it because I’m a girl?” Cady asks quietly. 

“Of course not. Things are just complicated right now,” Regina rushes out. “Please. _Please_ don’t tell her.” 

“Okay.” Her girlfriend says without much resistance, and she scratches over her arm nervously. 

“Cady, I’m really serious about this. Don’t.” 

“Look at me,” Cady murmurs quietly, touching Regina’s cheek to make her turn to her. “I understand. If it’s not the right time, then it’s not.” She thumbs over the soft skin with ease, scooting closer. “We’ll just be normal-” she tries to recall the words from earlier, “- _acquaintances. Friends even._ ”

“Right,” the blonde says. “Definitely.” 

Regina licks at her lips absently, and instantly Cady loses her breath when she feels a hand on her thigh and another on her waist. 

“Yeah,” Cady says back, though she isn’t sure what she’s agreeing to anymore. 

Without thinking, they both lean forward. Cady’s fingers wind into Regina’s hair automatically, and she tugs her closer into a passionate kiss. Quickly, she’s slipping her tongue into it, smiling when she hears Regina let out a groan. They press closer together, Regina's hand sneaking up from Cady's waist to run over her chest. It's quickly getting out of hand, and it escalates further when Cady’s fingers descend to fiddle with the hem of the hoodie her girlfriend just put on. She flits her fingers over warm skin, laughing quietly when Regina’s breathes out of her nose loudly at the soft touch. 

Cady is about to murmur _take it off,_ when she hears her name being called. 

“Cady, dear?! We’re going to watch a movie soon, okay?” 

They spring apart like they’ve both been burned, despite knowing that Betsy isn't going to enter without knocking, and Regina wildly runs a hand through her hair to try and pat it down. Cady straightens her dress before she calls back an answer, her voice quivering slightly with want. 

“Okay. I’m coming!” 

They both blush at the words, and Cady hops off of the bed and rubs over her lips to try and quell their redness. 

“That was just an example of what not to do,” Regina says smartly. She _does_ mean it; she wants to make that clear, but she also can’t resist standing and helping Cady fix her hair in the back. She brushes her lips gently over a soft cheek and grins when she hears a quiet sigh. 

“I understand,” the redhead responds quietly, reaching up to kiss the blonde one last time. “So is that.”

"For sure." 

“Caddy?!” It’s Janis yelling this time. 

Cady rolls her eyes, but, nevertheless, begins to back towards the door. 

“Good night, Regina: my perfectly normal acquaintance.” 

_I love you._

Regina snorts at her girlfriend's antics. 

“Sweet Dreams, Cady." 

_I love you too._

She tries to ignore the way her lips still feel warm from the redhead’s own on hers, and she pops a pill into her mouth before flopping onto her bed. 

This is going to be a long week.


	2. but it's you that i need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, i'm back... again! so quick, i know. this was meant to be just a quick and fun little project, but i've been devoting a lot of time to it so i hope y'all enjoy. i've got some things in the works for shadows and shades and if i could tell her, so don't you worry if that's what you're waiting for. 
> 
> as always, stay safe out there, and i hope this brings you some joy. <3
> 
> (chapter title from dermot kennedy's "what have i done.)

Regina wakes in an unfamiliar bedroom to the smell of bacon and something sweet cooking downstairs. The room is bright, light streaming in through the window next to the bed, and automatically, she feels next to her for Cady, who isn’t there. She shoots up, remembering where she is. 

The memories of last night come flooding back: her roommate and her boyfriend, her three hour Uber ride, arriving at the Friendsgiving her mom insisted she attend only to find that it was her _girlfriend’s_ family who is hosting. 

The girlfriend that her mom knows nothing about. 

Regina sits for a moment, looking around the room, and she jumps when her phone buzzes on the bedside table. 

**[Gretchen, 8:47am]:** We’re grounded. Guess we’ll have to postpone our hangout until Winter Break :( 

“Dammit,” Regina mumbles to herself, already typing out a response to her best friend to at least try and have fun with Karen in Michigan. 

Since Aaron is off studying abroad and won’t be home until Christmas, this recent turn of events means that she’ll be all alone this Thanksgiving with just her mom’s support group friends, their children and her secret girlfriend.

Like this holiday could get any more weird and uncomfortable. 

Regina contemplates going back to sleep, but she did tell Damian she would help out as much as she can, so, as quickly as she can, the blonde scoots out of bed, reaching down to her toes to try and stretch out her back. She normally does more exercises in the morning, but it sounds like breakfast is already underway. She better get moving. 

Hastily, Regina pulls a pair of dark skinny jeans from her bag and a soft sweater. She smiles to herself when she catches a whiff of the scent on the collar. Cady must have worn it to bed last week. 

She pushes her glasses onto her face, forgoing contacts since everyone had already seen her wearing the frames last night, and pulls the door open to head downstairs. 

As she runs her hands through her hair and steps off the last stair, Regina’s ears latch onto the unmistakable sounds of laughter and oil crackling in a pan, sounds she hasn’t heard in a very long time. 

She crosses the threshold into the kitchen, and her senses are immediately overwhelmed with the smell of cinnamon rolls on the counter, the hodgepodge of different magnets and post-it notes stuck to the fridge, and the sight of Cady sat on the counter in another pretty dress, her legs crossed properly, despite the fact that they hang over the side of the linoleum. She watches as Cady stutters in a move to ask her for a good morning kiss and regret washes over her when she sees the redhead’s hands quickly recede. 

_“Hey,”_ her girlfriend mouths instead, a grin still on her lips at the sight of a sleepy Regina, one of her favorite views. 

_“Morning,”_ the blonde mouths back, flashing her a smile. 

Regina zooms out her focus. Kevin and Damian are bickering again, which seems to be a non-stop occurrence, and Janis is flipping eggs in the pan expertly. Clearly, the brunette is the only one helping to make breakfast. She catches a glimpse of her mom in the dining room, her insides warm when she sees Sabrina actually smiling and chatting it up with Betsy. 

Involuntarily, Regina’s eyes pull back to Cady like they always do in a crowded room, and she can’t help the way her eyes move up over smooth legs, her torso, her chest. When she finally reaches her girlfriend’s face, she sees an unmistakable smirk that makes her own cheeks heat up. For a moment, she continues to stand in the doorway, holding an impromptu staring contest with Cady before Kevin notices her and cuts off his argument with Damian. 

“Yo! Little George, how’d you sleep?” Regina hides a wince at the nickname, and her girlfriend bites back a smile. 

She’s grateful that he’s at least friendly, so she begins to respond. “Pretty good--” 

Damian cuts her off. “Kev, you do know that you and _Regina_ are the same age, right? So she’s not exactly little. ” 

“Did I _ask_ you, Hubbard?” 

The two boys go back to arguing again, and Janis rolls her eyes, turning to her. 

“Morning, Regina.” Janis waves absently before gesturing to the frying pan. “Bacon is already on the table. Do you want eggs?” She points to the glazed pastries next to Cady. “And a cinnamon roll?” 

“That would be great,” Regina says, nodding her thanks at Janis who’s already grabbing the eggs back out of the fridge. “Sunny side up?”

“The only way to do it,” Cady responds out of habit, the answer she’s conditioned herself to have every time Regina asks for eggs. Regina looks at her softly, and Cady returns the gentleness of it. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Regina catches a glimpse of Kevin sneaking around behind Cady to try and grab a cinnamon roll. He reaches out, attempting to snatch the one closest to him, but the redhead sees, batting his hand away. 

“Paws off, Gnapoor!” Cady swats him again. “You know the second coat of glaze hasn’t gone on yet.” 

“Buzzkill.” Kevin grumbles, retreating with his head hung. “I’m hungry!” 

“And if you and Damian could stop arguing for one second, maybe breakfast would be ready faster,” Janis snaps, sliding Regina’s eggs onto her plate. “Try and be useful, Mr. MIT.” 

“Women,” Kevin mutters, but does as he’s told, turning to face Regina. “Would you like some coffee?” 

She opens her mouth to answer how she likes it, seeing that the boy is still looking at her to see what she’ll answer, but Cady beats her to it.

“Milk, one sugar.” 

All three of Cady’s friends blink in surprise and stop what they’re doing, Damian about to pour the second batch of glaze onto the rolls, Janis washing the pan in the sink, and Kevin in the middle of reaching for a mug. 

“Yeah,” Regina replies dumbly. 

Janis’ eyes narrow, looking between them before going back to doing the dishes. “How’d you know that, Caddy?” 

Everyone is turned away from them, so nobody catches the look that the couple shares. 

“One of my many talents,” Cady offers weakly, and the flush in her cheeks is enough to make Regina have to stop a laugh from escaping her throat as she gratefully takes the mug from Kevin. 

***

Regina is reading through her philosophy notes with a single earbud in when a knock on the door breaks her out of her study-induced trance. She pauses her music and looks over her shoulder, smiling at the portrait of perfection that’s standing in the doorway. 

“Hey,” Cady whispers, holding a cinnamon roll that looks like it’s just been warmed and a glass of milk. She steps over the threshold when Regina shuts her laptop and spins the chair so she’s facing the entrance, a signal for her to come inside. “I know you like a snack when you study, especially when it’s sweet.” 

“Thanks.” Regina’s expression turns soft when she looks at Cady, and she takes the plate and cup from the other woman. 

She places her glasses on the table now that Cady’s closer and bites into the pastry, letting out an obscene sound just to see how her girlfriend will react and feeling quite satisfied when Cady’s fingers press into the bedspread. She licks over her bottom lip, cleaning it of the sugary glaze, and she smirks when she catches Cady staring. Regina does it again, overtly checking Cady out for good measure and swiping over sugar again, laughing softly when her girlfriend makes a strangled sound in her throat. 

It makes Regina think of a time where she was eating ice cream, and some of the chocolate sauce that was over the top smeared across her mouth. She remembers how her tongue poked out to taste it, how Cady couldn’t take her eyes off of it, how, in an instant, she was pressed into the bed and her girlfriend was kissing her hard and fast. 

“Something wrong, Cady?” Regina teases. 

“Nope. Nothing at all.” Cady shakes her head quickly, blushing and looking away. She changes the subject, not trusting herself to refrain from jumping Regina if the blonde says anything more on the subject. “How’s the studying going?”

“Alright,” Regina says into her glass, taking a sip of her milk. “I’ve been ready for a little while,” she confesses. “I just want to go over the stuff again. Existentialism is tough, but I know it’s going to be an essay, so I’m not too worried.” 

“Do you mean to tell me that last week when I was naked in bed you were _ready_ , and you turned me down?” Cady asks indignantly. 

“These tests are important!” Regina fights back easily, since this is a conversation they’ve had countless times, and neither of them actually means the bite in their voice. “I can have you in bed as much as I want. I only get to take this test once.” 

Cady grins, looking over at Regina mischievously. “Who said you can have me as much as you want?”

“You’re my girlfriend,” Regina says back, quite unaffected by Cady’s attempt at teasing. “And you know I’m too good for you to say no.” 

“Again, so modest.”

Somehow, they’ve gotten closer together, their knees touching. Midnight eyes meet sky blue ones, and, despite the direct opposition that the two colors hold, it feels a lot like coming home. They said this wouldn’t happen again, but quickly, Cady is reaching toward her, grabbing at the back of Regina’s neck and tugging her forward until their noses are almost touching. 

“Told you that you couldn’t resist,” Regina whispers against Cady’s lips, and it just makes the redhead smile. 

She shakes her head with a quiet laugh. 

“Insufferable.” 

“You love it.” 

Regina closes the remaining distance between them, wrapping a hand around a slim waist and forcing her girlfriend closer until the woman is in her lap. Her hands wander up over Cady’s back, searching for the clasp of her dress. They’re moving too fast, but neither of them seems to care too much, Cady’s hands already tugging at and making a mess of blonde curls. Regina gasps, and Cady smiles into it, taking the opportunity to slip her tongue into the kiss. 

Regina finds the hook that’s holding the fabric together at the top and undoes it expertly with one hand before she drags the zipper underneath it down enough for her hand to run over Cady’s smooth back. Her fingers ghost over soft skin, and Cady whimpers softly in the back of her throat, rocking her hips down into Regina’s in the chair. It feels like too much; dinner is soon, and they would have no way to explain this away if somebody were to walk in. 

The second Regina feels lacy material across Cady’s back, the thought flies out the window.

“It’s new,” Cady mumbles, breaking their embrace to fill her lungs with air before she undoes a button on Regina’s flannel and begins to nip and kiss at the tan skin she finds under the fabric on her girlfriend’s neck. “Wish you could see me in it for real,” she whispers hotly. “Take off my clothes. Make me come--” 

“Fuck,” Regina whispers back, trying to quell her arousal. “Don’t say things like that.” 

“Why not?” Cady asks innocently, still mouthing over her girlfriend’s neck and descending lower until she can bite at the spot where Regina’s neck meets her shoulder. 

“You know why,” Regina manages to breathe out, her hands snapping up from where they were running over Cady’s back and twisting into auburn hair to hold the woman in place. 

Regina’s about to decide that she doesn’t care if anybody finds them, especially when Cady releases her skin with a pop, having left a dark mark low enough on her neck that she can hide it, but then, someone’s yelling for them. 

It’s Damian. 

“Dinner’s ready! I’m coming up to drag you both to eat something, since neither of you ate lunch.” The couple ignores him for a moment, continuing to embrace; but soon, they hear the distinct sound of footsteps coming up the wooden staircase, and that’s when Cady knows he isn’t joking. 

She groans, pulling away from Regina and yelping in surprise when the blonde twirls her back for another kiss. 

“No,” she whines. 

“'Gina,” Cady murmurs back. “Damian will be upstairs any minute. And we both need to eat.” She says it weakly, her breath coming out in puffs as Regina’s lips move over her jaw. “Besides, your mom is right downstairs too.” 

That snaps Regina out of her arousal slightly, but her eyes are still dark when she allows Cady to retreat enough that they can look at each other.

“Come back later?” Regina asks, her eyes lingering on Cady’s legs as her girlfriend gets up from her lap and looks at herself in the mirror to begin adjusting herself. “Maybe after everyone’s gone to bed?” 

“Babe--”

Regina watches hesitation play out over pretty features, and it’s clear she’ll have to do some convincing. She stands, padding over to Cady, knowing exactly how to get her to say yes. She runs a hand over her back, dipping her fingers under the light blue lace of her bra before dragging the zipper back up and locking the clasp into place. She kisses along the back of Cady’s neck, running a hand over her clothed stomach. “Please?” 

“Yeah. Yeah, okay,” Cady concedes quietly, unable to resist Regina advances while still trying to get control of her arousal. She looks at the both of them in the reflection, the way they fit together. “Around 11?”

“Perfect.” 

Regina never claimed to play fair. 

***

Somehow, Regina gets roped into dish duty. She thinks it’s because her mom asked nicely and because Mrs. Heron is such a damn good cook, she can’t even _imagine_ what Thanksgiving Day is actually going to be like, but soon she’s scrubbing away at pots and plates in the kitchen. They eat late in the Heron household, which is why it’s almost 10pm and she’s anxiously checking the clock every two minutes. 

She can’t be late to her rendezvous with Cady. 

Damian and Janis have already headed to bed, since they helped cook dinner, and Kevin and Cady are currently trying to teach Mr. Heron the formula for a rubik's cube. 

“I don’t understand!” Regina hears him talking over the water. “How do you know when to go left and when to go up?

The giggle Cady lets out makes Regina’s heart soar, but she schools her expression just in case anybody happens to see her. She continues to listen, and her ears pick up Betsy telling everybody that they have to be in bed by 10:30, which is met with a fake complaining from her husband and Kevin protesting, “Mrs. H, seriously?” 

Regina has no qualms with the order. It means that her plan with Cady will work perfectly. 

She scrubs at a particularly sticky part of the pot she’s holding, trying to push any thoughts of her very beautiful girlfriend in her bed out of her mind. 

_This is her parents’ house,_ she reminds herself. 

Still, as she rolls her sleeves up to continue dish duty, she feels a pair of eyes on her, the same eyes that she’s so used to looking at her, the same eyes that have been staring at her for the better part of dinner. She looks over her shoulder, and immediately Regina meets Cady’s stare. She almost drops the pot in her hand, and she swallows, forcing herself to look away. She doesn’t trust either of them to keep their hands to themselves.

***

By the time it’s eleven, Regina contemplates just getting herself off. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but the way Cady was watching her all night made her unable to really focus on anything. She spent the whole time trying to ignore the fact that she knew exactly what was under that dress that hugged every curve, breathing in deep to quell any inappropriate thoughts each time that Cady purposefully brushed past her. 

She checks the clock. 

_11:01_

As if on cue, she hears a quiet knock at the door, and she smiles when Cady peers around the door. 

“Hey,” she whispers, shutting the door as quietly as she can. 

“Hey yourself,” Regina says back, standing to meet Cady halfway. 

They’ve both changed out of their day clothes, Regina now in sweatpants and a thin tee, while Cady is wearing shorts and a hoodie that Regina is pretty sure is hers, judging by the way Cady has sweater paws and the fabric reaches all the way down to mid-thigh. They stare at each other for a moment, transfixed, before they pull together like magnets. 

“Did you take your meds?” Cady asks quietly, placing her hand over Regina’s sternum. Before they do anything, she always likes to make sure Regina won’t be in pain, since she knows the blonde will never say anything in the moment. 

“Yeah.” The reply is equally as soft, something warm set off inside of Regina at the care in Cady’s voice. She searches to gain back some of the normal control she possesses when with the woman in front of her. “Now, are you going to kiss me, or what? I mean, I know that I’m nice to look at and all—“ 

Regina is cut off by a deep kiss as Cady pushes her back into the wall so that she’s pinning her to the surface with both hands on her girlfriend’s hips. 

“Shut up.” 

“Make me.” 

The predatory look in Cady’s eyes is enough to make Regina’s heart drop as she feels her girlfriend’s hand search over her stomach, trying to undo the drawstring on Regina’s pants. She opens her mouth to say something snarky, but lips attach to the spot that makes Regina wild where her jaw meets her neck, and whatever thought she had completely leaves her.

Cady gently grazes her teeth over the sensitive area, and the move sends the blonde spiraling, the combined sensation of Cady’s hand moving past the waistband of her pants and her mouth on Regina’s neck enough to make the blonde press her lips together in a way that shuts her up just as requested. Regina’s stomach dips and her knees wobble, her hands searching for something to hold on to that will help her to remain standing. 

Needless to say, she’s quite grateful for the strong hands that are keeping her upright by their firm grip on her hips. 

It all feels so fast and dirty, the way they didn’t even have the patience to make it to bed, but Regina can’t complain, not when Cady’s hand pushes rather impatiently past her panties and runs a finger over her with a reverence that makes her pulse quicken so much that it trips over itself. 

“ _Baby,_ ” Regina mumbles, her fingers tugging blindly at Cady’s clothing, silently asking her to take off something, _anything_ , so that she can see her properly like the redhead promised earlier. Cady smiles against her girlfriend’s neck, her hand still ghosting over Regina, but she gets the message, pulling back for one moment to pull her hoodie up and over her head. Immediately, Regina loses her breath. Despite having changed into sleep clothes, Cady had kept on her new set of baby blue lace, and Regina is quite proud of herself that her legs don’t completely give out at the sight. 

“Regina?” Cady teases, waving a hand in front of her face. “Are you there?” 

There’s something hot about the confidence Cady is displaying, the way the muscles in her stomach flex as she drops her sweatshirt to the ground and reassumes her position with her hand inching back under the fabric of Regina’s sweats, a soft smirk on her face. Cady’s confidence is bolstered when hips jump towards her hand, and her grin feels almost dangerous when she moves in for an actual kiss before continuing on to Regina’s neck, her hand skating over a smooth hip and further down. She feels a hand on her inner thigh, fingers ghosting lightly over the skin, and Regina is unable to do anything but run her hands over Cady’s back and try to seem like she’s still in control of herself.

Her focus is broken when a finger pushes inside her gently, stilling to allow her to get used to the feeling before adding another, the gentle stretch making Regina cry out softly and scramble for purchase on Cady’s smooth back, her nails digging in slightly. A moan escapes Cady’s throat at the sensation, and she takes the gesture as a sign that Regina wishes for her to continue. She starts up what is sure to be a blistering pace, her lips growing sloppy on Regina’s neck as she brings her other hand that was holding the other woman to the wall down in order to push Regina’s sweats and underwear down her legs slightly. 

The hand darts back up to join in with Cady’s right hand, which is already beginning to speed up, easily finding Regina’s clit and circling over it. Hips arch into and away from the movement, and Regina’s breath is pulled from her body as her head hits the wall with a quiet _thump_. She bites her lip to stop herself from making a sound, her hands grabbing at her girlfriend’s strong shoulders. 

“So gorgeous,” Cady murmurs in her ear. They're the first words either of them have uttered in a few minutes, and they just push Regina further. 

“ _Cady_ ,” she whispers reverently, looking down at the way the woman’s forearm is flexing in the semi-darkness. 

At the sound of her name on her girlfriend’s lips, Cady begins to curl her fingers back towards Regina’s front wall, making her lose the tight grip she had on the noises bubbling in her throat. She whines, her hips jerking forward as Cady continues the movement and shows no signs of letting up. Regina tries to keep in mind that they’re in a full house, but then, Cady is twisting her wrist and swiping over the spot inside her that drives her absolutely up the wall, literally and figuratively in this situation. She moans out unintelligible encouragement, clamping her hand over her mouth. It spurs Cady on, her fingers moving faster as she drives her hips behind each thrust. 

“Babe,” Regina gasps, trying to be quiet and still grabbing at Cady’s shoulders to hold herself up. “I’m close- _more_?” 

“What do you say?” Cady asks experimentally, grinning when she hears a groan leave the blonde’s throat. 

“Are you serious?” Regina hisses, beautifully wrecked with her flushed cheeks and dark eyes. Cady looks back at her, zero room for argument in her own stare. Regina is shocked that Cady’s asking for it; since she’s only ever been the one to on the receiving end of the request, but Regina also knows that the search for her orgasm will only drag out further if she doesn’t say it now. As quietly as she can, Regina mumbles, “please?”

Cady stills both of her hands. 

“What was that?” she questions innocently. “I couldn’t hear you.” 

“Please!” Regina says louder, the embarrassment of having to beg making her redden and wet Cady’s knuckles further. When Cady doesn’t budge right away, more words fall from Regina’s lips. “I need you,” she whispers to the other woman. “I- I want you to make me come. _Please_?” 

Her voice is breathy and high, a telltale sign that she’s close. Regina whines again when her girlfriend barely begins to move, working up to a faster speed and continuing to let out gentle pleading whimpers. 

Cady hushes her. “I got you, ‘Gina. It’s okay.” 

She picks up the motion of her wrist and hand, scissoring her fingers slightly and circling her wrist to open Regina’s tight wetness up again before she hits hard and deep inside, trying not to groan herself at the slickness of her knuckles. 

“Please, _please_ ,” Regina continues to moan. “I- I need—“ 

“I know, baby,” Cady whispers, using all of the strength she can muster to practically pound into her girlfriend. Regina’s head tips back against the wall, one of her legs lifting and bending to wrap around Cady’s waist. “You look so pretty like this.” 

The compliment sets something off in Regina, her eyes squeezing shut as her body reacts to the words, pressing upwards. Cady feels inner walls flutter against her fingers, and pride wells up in her chest at the thought that she’s made her girlfriend, an English Lit major who normally has so much to say, speechless. She presses her lips to the newly exposed skin of Regina’s neck, thumbing over her sensitive clit faster. 

“I can tell you're close, ‘Gina,” she whispers, moving her wrist at a pace she didn’t know she could achieve. She admires the way Regina looks just on the precipice of falling apart, the way she’s clearly trying to restrain her hips so that they don’t make too much noise hitting the surface behind her. “Come for me.” 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Regina chokes out, rendered powerless by Cady’s voice as she does exactly as she’s told, coming hard around Cady’s fingers that continue to rapidly swipe over her front wall. The pressure in her gut releases, pure pleasure coursing through her veins as she desperately tries to keep herself from falling forward. Soft pink lips seal over Regina’s quickly, making sure that they don’t wake the second floor with any particularly unruly sounds of appreciation that might choose to fall from Regina’s tongue. Still, the blonde lets out a strangled cry into Cady’s mouth, and her hips continue to buck up for several moments before quivering to a stop. Cady works her through until finally Regina presses herself back against the wall, shaking her head that she can’t go again just yet. Cady holds a hand on her hips for a moment, taking care to make sure that she won’t sink to the ground if her hand moves. 

Regina takes in deep breaths, trying to draw in oxygen to clear her head, but barely anything can get down her throat when she sees Cady carefully studying her fingers before she slides them into her mouth to lick them clean.

“Oh my God,” Regina groans, trying to gain back motor function but failing at the sight. 

“You taste good,” Cady replies easily with a self-satisfied smirk as she backs away until she’s sat on the corner of the bed. Regina’s eyes stay on her, but she doesn’t move, not yet, watching to see what Cady will do. As predicted, her girlfriend begins to divest herself of her remaining clothing, lying back on the bed and proudly presenting herself to Regina as she begins to undo the front clasp of her bra. 

“Shit,” Regina mumbles to herself, her gaze roving over bare skin. 

“Are you going to join me, or am I going to have to do all the work myself?” 

***

After Regina has made Cady come twice, telling her to bite the back of her hand both times so that she doesn’t wake the house with her moans, they lie back in the guest bed for a moment. It feels like it always does when Cady cuddles into Regina’s side and kisses her cheek, like truly being at peace. It’s quiet, and they listen to the sounds of the night: a single car driving on the road, ice cracking under its tires, an owl hooting. They both begin to doze, breathing each other in, but then, Cady remembers where they are. She sits up. 

“I should go,” she whispers, checking the clock. “It’s almost one.”

Regina rubs at her drooping eyes, looking over at Cady in disappointment.

“Or you could stay?” she asks without thinking, grabbing at her girlfriend’s hand when she pulls on Regina’s sweatshirt and tries to get out of bed.

“But your mom--” 

“We’ll set an alarm. She never gets up before eight.” Cady looks between the door and Regina, how beautiful she looks with tousled hair and only in a pair of loose sweatpants. 

“I would have to leave by seven.” It’s a weak excuse, and Cady knows it. 

“Don’t care,” Regina mumbles, dragging her back and throwing the comforter over both of them as her eyes slide shut from exhaustion.

“Are you sure?” Cady whispers gently, though her head is now resting on the pillow. She’s on her side so she can face Regina, whose voice is rough with her fatigue as she answers and throws an arm over Cady’s waist to hold her. They both fall asleep better that way. 

“Stay.” 

_I love you._

“Okay.” 

_I love you too._


	3. i'm in love...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all! look! i'm back again. again, i promise i have other things in the works for my other two wips, but we're almost to the end with this one, and i think it would be a big accomplishment for me to finish one of my multi-chaps, so here we are. if you're reading this, i hope that this brings you some brief peace in this crazy world. sorry that this is a little shorter than usual and that there's not smut in this chapter, but you do learn about regina's past. hope you enjoy this emotional rollercoaster. 
> 
> as always, stay safe out there. 
> 
> (chapter title from dermot kennedy's "what have i done")

“YOLO is not a word!” Cady exclaims, taking Regina’s pieces off of the Scrabble board. 

“I’m an English Literature major!” Regina fires back indignantly. “It’s in the dictionary. Here, I’ll even look it up for you.” She types in her passcode, their anniversary, and opens Safari, but that’s as far as she gets. 

“Hey! You’re cheating,” Cady yelps, her cheeks flushing as she reaches over to try and snatch the phone away. 

Regina stands up, holding the phone up high so that Cady can’t reach it, and watches in amusement as her girlfriend jumps up and down trying to pluck it out of her grasp. Forgetting herself for a moment, she presses down on Regina’s shoulders to try and reach. 

“Ow! Fuck,” Regina hisses, jerking away and sinking onto the couch as she grabs at her back. 

“Oh shit, Regina.” Cady kneels down, rubbing over her girlfriend’s knee in the way she knows calms her. “I’m sorry; I forgot.” 

“It’s okay,” Regina breathes out, rubbing over what she can reach of her spine. Cady moves to begin pressing over the certain vertebrae she knows are sensitive. “You didn’t mean it. Though, if you hadn’t said I was a cheater, this wouldn’t have happened.” She winks to let Cady know she’s joking and feeling better, and she’s immediately attacked with another wave of Cady trying to take away her phone. 

“It’s an acronym, and, therefore, it’s not a word,” Cady says fervently, making grabby hands at the phone while Regina twists away from her on the couch.

Cady is practically in Regina’s lap, and, inappropriately, both of their minds jump back to their activities from last afternoon. They ignore it as much as they can, but still, any time Regina has a lapful of Cady, there isn’t much she can do to keep her mind out of the gutter. Cady lunges forward for the phone once more, and Regina takes the opportunity to tickle at her sides, making Cady giggle and shake. She begins to fight back, finding Regina’s spot behind her knee, and the only thing that stops it from becoming an all out tickle fight is Janis’ intervention. 

“I leave for _two_ minutes to get some water. Two!” She says indignantly, gesturing to the women who are still in an extremely compromising position. “What could you possibly be arguing about anyway in _Scrabble_?”

“Regina is a cheater and being a sore loser like _always_ \--”

“--Cady doesn’t believe that YOLO is a word because she’s a dumb math major!” 

They speak at the same time, turning to each other with playful glares. 

Janis eyes them suspiciously, her gaze clearly flickering between the couple, trying to connect the dots. Self consciously, Cady gets out of Regina’s lap, sitting down next to her instead and straightening out her v-neck. 

“Remind me how you know each other?” she asks, looking at the way they’re sitting closely. 

“A few parties,” Regina says rather lamely. 

“A few parties,” Cady repeats, looking away. 

“ _Right_ ,” Janis says, not at all convinced. “Well, I don’t want to get involved in-” she pauses, unsure of what to call their little squabble- “whatever this is. But I am happy to call in Mr. H as a mediator if that’s needed.”

“Nope! We’re good.” Cady shakes her head. The last thing she needs is the person who knows her the best in the whole world to be judging her and Regina. 

Janis shrugs. She’s not sure if she’s missing something, but there’s no use dwelling on it, not when it’s two days before Thanksgiving, and Mrs. Heron already wants to start prepping the food. As she walks away, she hears a certain joy in Cady’s voice that she’s never heard before. 

“Anyway, YOLO is _not_ a word. You just felt bad because I’m a _dumb math major,_ and I was beating you.”

“You know I didn’t mean that,” Regina fights back easily. “And it _is_ a word. It’s in the dictionary!” 

***

When Cady finds her in the kitchen later watching the sample batch of pie dough in the oven with her psychology of morality notes up in a browser on her laptop, she can’t help but laugh softly. She lingers in the doorway, watching as Regina’s golden hair catches the light perfectly and her blue eyes sparkle when she finally becomes reacquainted with one of the points she jotted down back in September. Regina hasn’t noticed her yet, still sipping her coffee and checking the timer to see when she has to pull the baking sheet out. 

“I thought you didn’t like the holidays?” Cady teases, coming to stand next to her. She peeks over Regina’s shoulder, catching sight of her girlfriend’s meticulously color-coded notes. 

“It’s only because Mom asked me to watch it,” Regina admits. “Plus, if I studied upstairs, I’m pretty sure I would immediately be too tempted to take a nap.”

Cady looks at her with faked innocence in wide eyes. “Are you tired or something? Did you not sleep?”

Regina glares at her, attempting to hide her smile as she scrolls through her notes, unable to actually understand anything they’re saying with Cady so near. 

“Somebody tired me out. And I never thought I would get tired of what we were doing.”

“She sounds just awful.” Cady grins, the expression on her face so rosy with adoration that she’s almost angelic. 

“She is,” Regina says back as seriously as she can. 

Cady laughs brightly, wrapping her arms around the other woman’s middle and kissing at her spine. Regina shivers, biting her lip to stop her emotions from overcoming her. Cady is much more gentle with her body than she was in the morning playing board games, and it’s clear she’s trying to be mindful as she massages over tight muscles and knots. Whenever they were close, Cady would do something of the sort: run a hand over the crooked part of her back, kiss at the scars, hug her gently. It all made her feel less… imperfect. 

There’s a lull in conversation as they stand there for a moment, the afternoon sun streaming in from the window above the sink. It’s blissful, perhaps the most at peace Regina has felt since that fateful day in March. 

It all quickly comes to an end. 

“I want to tell our parents and my friends,” Cady mumbles. “About us.” 

“Why?” Regina asks, surprise and reservation clear in her voice as she turns to look at Cady so they can have a proper conversation, shifting from foot to foot. 

Cady swallows, trying not to be hurt by the blatant resistance she received at her request. Her eyes move around the room, unwilling to look at the gorgeous woman in front of her as she begins to speak, her voice quiet and tentative.

"I like you. Like so much.” Cady winces at the awkwardness of the words on her tongue, unsure of where she’s going as she continues. “I like pretty much everything about you. I like hanging out with you and having you in my bed. I like playing Scrabble with you and fighting over who’s right. I like waking up next to you and getting both of our coffees ready. I like the way you insist you aren’t beautiful and how everytime I get to be the one to tell you that you are.” She doesn’t meet Regina’s eyes, too afraid of what she will find there. Instead, she continues to speak, thinking it best to just lay out everything she’s feeling. “More than anything, I want to share all of it with everyone. I want them to know that you’re mine, and I’m yours. I want to kiss you good morning in front of everyone, make you breakfast. I’d even be okay with getting made fun of by my friends if it meant that they would know the truth. I just want you. All of you. All the time. No more secrets.” 

Regina’s eyes are wide as she listens. She tries to make a joke, just because she’s unsure what to say, even though she knows it’s inappropriate. “Wow. You like so many things about me.” 

It falls completely flat, and the air is totally dead between them. Cady backs away from her further, clearly wounded. 

“You know what I mean, Regina.” She whispers the words, glad that everyone else had gone out to pick up the last remaining ingredients necessary for the big meal her mom is planning. The heartbreak is evident in her voice, but she clenches her teeth, trying to hide it. 

“Hey.” Regina steps forward, bending down the slightest bit to urge Cady to meet her eyes. “Look at me, baby.” 

Cady looks up, and she’s disappointed to still see blue eyes stormy with obvious uncertainty. She pulls her gaze away from Regina’s and begins to ramble. 

“I’ve done the whole closeted thing before. And i don’t want to do it again,” she says quietly. “It hurt so bad; you can ask Janis. My grades slipped like crazy. I was mean. I pretty much lived solely on coffee and sugary pastries—“ 

“Cady,” Regina interrupts, her voice sharp enough to cut through Cady’s fear and insecurities. “Just breathe, okay?” The redhead is able to nod, taking Regina’s advice and sucking in as much oxygen as she can, watching as the blonde opens her mouth to speak again. “I’m out. I want to tell everybody too.” 

“Then what’s the problem?” Cady wants to ask if it’s something to do with her, but it feels bigger than that, especially when Regina’s gaze passes over her with a nervousness that she’s never seen in her girlfriend before. 

“‘My dad died last spring,” Regina says softly, her eyes welling up with tears. 

The statement hangs heavy between them, Regina wiping angrily at the tears that dared to fall onto her cheeks while Cady watches on in concern, all of the dots finally connecting as far as how their families knew each other, even before Regina begins to speak again. “It’s why we’re having Thanksgiving here. Our parents met at the support group. Did- did someone in your family die in the last year too?”

Cady shakes her head, looking up at the blonde and taking her hand tentatively. She breathes a sigh of relief when Regina doesn’t pull away. “My parents are doctors, so they volunteer at the center on the weekends. They check on the members of the groups and make sure they're doing okay.”

Regina seems to understand what Cady said, but she barely acknowledges the words, her eyes foggy with memories of her last moments with her father. Her tears are falling freely now. She’s never talked about it with anybody except her mom, and it feels both freeing and terrifying to tell Cady about her deepest pain. 

“The driver was going eighty-five, and his alcohol level was twice the legal limit. He hit Dad’s side of the car. The impact killed him.” She scoffs, but the anger is hollow and sounds a lot more like guilt. “Mom and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. Not properly, anyway.”

Regina begins to tremble, remembering how just the moments before they were laughing, how the radio was on low, how he told her that he loved her. Everything changed so quickly. She remembers her dad throwing an arm across her body to protect her from the airbag, and then, in the moments after that, it was all painful and dark and lonely.

”Oh, baby,” Cady whispers gently.

“We weren’t a perfect family, not by a long shot, but it was ours and that was what was important. He was just coming around to everything, and I was the happiest I’d ever been, knowing that he loved me unconditionally. We were actually talking about girls, what my type is, when it happened. He wanted to know if I’d met anybody.” She gestures to Cady. “I told him not yet, and he told me he couldn’t wait to meet whatever girl I brought home and scare her into never hurting me.” She laughs wetly and humorlessly, thinking about the cruelty that the world possessed for her father to pass just months before she met the woman she was sure to love for the rest of her life. “He didn’t understand everything, but he was trying his best to be supportive.” 

“How come you never mentioned it?” The second the words are out of her mouth, Cady wants to take them back. She realizes the question sounds a lot more accusatory than intended, and Regina’s eyes are squeezed shut as she flinches at the words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” Cady whispers. 

Regina nods as if to say _I know_ , opening her eyes to look at Cady. She fiddles with her sleeves. “I never said anything because when I first met you, I just wanted to feel normal,” she confesses. “I was digging myself into a really deep hole, and two of my best friends were in Michigan and the other was in Italy. Mom refused to talk about it except for at the support group, and she seemed to think it best to carry on like nothing ever happened. I had nobody.” 

“You could’ve talked to me about it,” Cady offers, squeezing Regina’s hand. 

Regina shakes her head. 

“I didn’t want to think about it. And you were the perfect excuse not to.” She laughs quietly. “To you, I wasn’t some broken kid who couldn’t wear anything with a back zipper anymore, had chronic spinal pain and a dead dad. I was just Regina. And I liked that.” She’s hunched over against the counter now, her tears dripping down onto her shirt. “You made me feel brave. And worth something. I didn’t think you’d want me if you knew the truth.” 

“Of course I would have wanted you,” Cady murmurs, taking a step closer and pulling Regina’s head down gently into her shoulder so she can cry it out. She rubs over her back, over the crookedness. “You’re beautiful, baby. So strong.” Regina chokes on her tears, fisting her hands in the fabric of Cady’s shirt. “We don’t have to tell anybody if you’re not ready. It’s enough to know that we belong to each other,” she says quietly, some of her own tears spilling over onto her cheeks. “It’s okay. I got you.” 

“I’m sorry,” Regina mumbles. “It’s just that I know that my mom is still hurting from everything. I feel like it would hurt her more to know I’m in a new relationship.”

“I understand.” Cady’s voice is soft, comforting, and it just makes Regina hold her closer. Her back twinges, but she doesn’t care. Not if Cady keeps holding her this way. “Though I’m not sure I want to tell them anymore either,” she teases. “I can’t have my parents knowing I’m dating a Scrabble cheater.” 

Regina giggles, and Cady’s heart pounds when she feels Regina smile into her shoulder. “You’re probably right,” she says back. “I can’t have my mom knowing I’m dating a _dumb math major._ ” 

“Math is the foundation of the universe!” Cady yelps back, but they both pull back slightly to smile at each other. “It’s not my fault you’d rather philosophize until your brain falls out of your head.” 

Regina laughs louder, wiping away the residual tears on her face, and Cady’s stomach swoops. 

“Better than solve math problems until my hand falls off!”

_I love you._

“I take back everything I said I like doing with you!” 

_I love you too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, YOLO is really in the dictionary. thanks for reading!


	4. this time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all! here's the last chapter. i'm getting back to my other works now, but i've been so inspired to write this, so i hope that you've enjoyed it. i hope this brings you some sort of joy in this crazy time. 
> 
> as always, stay safe out there. 
> 
> (chapter titles from dermot kennedy's "what have i done." fic title from head over feet.)

“Wakey, wakey! It’s Thanksgiving Eve!” Damian sings through the door. 

Regina groans, throwing one of her pillows in the direction of his voice. Damian yelps at the harsh sound, and she hears him scamper off down the stairs as she yells back. “That’s not a thing!”

“Shit,” Cady mumbles, rolling over next to Regina. “I know that this is their favorite day, but I didn’t think they’d get up so early.” She checks the clock next to the bed. “Fuck this family. Six in the morning?!” 

“I thought you _loved Thanksgiving?_ ” Regina teases, raising herself up gently to kiss Cady good morning. 

Cady hums into it, running her fingers gently through blonde hair and tugging to force her girlfriend closer. 

“I do normally,” she says in Regina’s mouth. “But this year, I have a super hot girl in my bed.” 

“Really?” Regina’s jaw drops as she pretends to be scandalized. “Who is it?” 

“I don’t think you know her,” Cady replies, easily flipping them over so she’s sat in Regina’s lap. “She’s this annoying English Lit major. Only person I know that would read philosophy books for fun.” 

“She sounds boring,” Regina laughs out, moving on to kiss at Cady’s neck. “Why are you with her?” 

“Like I said-” Cady bites her lip to hold back a grin- “she’s super hot.” 

“Is that the only reason why?”

Cady pretends to think, looking around the room for an answer. Her hands have come up to hold Regina’s head in place, and her answer is breathless with need as the blonde nips and kisses at her skin. “Yeah, pretty much.” 

Regina gasps out in offense, shoving Cady off of her gently onto the empty side of the bed. “No more kisses for you.” 

“No!” Cady whines, trying to pull Regina back on top of her. “I’m sorry!” 

“Too late,” Regina reprimands fake-sternly, getting out of bed. She winces, feeling the muscles in her back twinge as she stands up. She tries to hide it from Cady, but her gait is visibly off when she pulls her shirt over her head and moves towards her suitcase to change into day clothes.

“Babe,” Cady says, hopping out of bed. “Does it hurt?” 

“It’s just morning pain. Nothing too bad,” Regina says weakly, twisting around to look for her meds in the bedroom. 

Cady takes a step closer to her tentatively, looking for any sign that Regina doesn’t want her to come any nearer. When she sees none, she grabs both of Regina’s hands and looks up at her. 

“Let me help make you feel better?” The question is quiet, uncertain. They’ve done this hundreds of times, but there’s something different about knowing _why_ Regina is hurting. 

The blonde’s nod is nervous, but the consent is present, so, softly, Cady places Regina back on the edge of the bed, turning her until she urges her to lie on her stomach. She clambers on the bed behind the blonde, straddling her thighs gently. She’s careful not to jostle her girlfriend as she moves to get more comfortable, checking on Regina’s expression for any sign of reservations. When she finds none, she settles in. 

“Tell me if it doesn’t feel good,” she whispers, and Regina nods in response.

Cady’s right hand trails up from the base of the blonde’s spine, and she scratches her nails gently over the smooth skin she loves so much, enjoying the goosebumps she sees popping up in the wake of the movement. She stays in the area of Regina’s lower back for a moment before continuing upwards, pressing over the crooked section of her girlfriend’s vertebrae as gently as she can, moving her palm in a circle the way she knows the woman likes. Immediately, the action causes a moan to escape from Regina’s throat, and Cady smiles as she watches her relax into the bed and smash her face into the pillow to try and quiet herself.

Cady moves over the spot incrementally harder and bends down, beginning to press her lips over the stark white lines on the blonde’s back. She hears another sound from Regina that’s a mix between a whine and her name, and she smirks dangerously, feeling the way her girlfriend is pushing back into the touch. 

Instinctively, her other hand that was laying inactively on the bedspread inches towards Regina’s chest until she’s tentatively thumbing over the side of her left breast. Cady experimentally palms over it harder, and she hears a breathy sigh leave pretty pink lips, shocking arousal through her system and down towards the apex of her thighs.

She repeats the movement, still using her right hand to massage at Regina’s back as she sweeps her lips higher up until they’re pressed against the back of her neck. She begins to nip and kiss, and Regina clutches onto her pillow for dear life, biting into the soft material to stop herself from groaning, from crying out, from begging Cady to touch her where she wants most. 

As if reading her mind, Regina really wouldn’t be surprised if Cady could, she feels the small, nimble hand that was on her chest begin to trail over her stomach, further down, until it’s flirting with the waistband of Regina’s sweats. Her pulse quickens as the palm of Cady’s right hand continues to press into her spine, and her left confidently finds its way under the elastic of her panties. She moves aside the damp fabric covering Regina’s center and swipes a practiced finger through wetness. 

Regina lets out a strangled whimper, her hips jerking into the touch. 

“That feel good, baby?” Cady murmurs. 

“ _Really good,”_ she manages to breathe out in response.

Regina _knows_ Cady is teasing, waiting for her to plead, and she’s just about to give in and ask for it when the door opens so harshly that the doorframe trembles on its hinges. 

“Hey, Regina! Have you seen-- _oh my god_?!”

“Oh _shit,_ ” Cady says, so shocked that her voice is in a whisper as she gently unseats herself from where she was resting on Regina’s thighs and grabbing Janis just as she’s about to yell the gossip to everyone that’s awake downstairs. Janis squawks indignantly, trying to resist, but the redhead is too upset. She shuts the door by pinning her best friend to it. “Why didn’t you knock?”

“I assumed Regina was just getting dressed to come downstairs,” Janis says. “Didn’t think I’d walk in on a porno.” 

“It’s not a--” 

“You should’ve heard the way Regina said _really good_ from where I was standing.” Janis shudders dramatically. 

Cady turns bright red, swallowing loudly when she sees Regina getting up, shamelessly naked from the waist up. Her eyes rove over tight muscles for a moment before her best friend kicks her.

“Caddy! Ew!” Janis hisses, still stuck to the door with a strong forearm across her chest before she smirks, her eyes alight with mischief. “Though I can see why you like this, Little George.” She gestures to the way she’s being held to the door. 

“ _Eugh_ , Janis!” Cady shrieks in disgust, jumping back. 

Regina doesn’t even grace the comment with a response, just grumbling to herself quietly about how _all artists are cockblocks_ and how _she was so close to getting Cady to do her since all she wanted to do last night was be cute and hold me_ as she grabs her bra.

“I knew you guys were together,” Janis laughs out. Immediately, Regina tries to retract her statement, but Janis isn’t having it. “Nobody plays and argues about Scrabble like you two did unless you’re dating. Besides, I don’t think even the best masturbation gets you going enough that you’d beg yourself for more, Regina.” 

Regina’s face flushes for the first time since Janis has been in the room. “How did you--” 

“My room is next door.”

“Sorry about that,” Cady says to her friend. “Regina is _super_ loud, even when you try to tell her to be quiet.” 

Regina protests, but Janis shakes her head, sending a wink Regina’s way. Her eyes are still bright with humor. “Regina isn’t the one who kept me up.” She pokes Cady in the stomach harshly with her pointer finger. “Didn’t take you for a talker, Caddy.” 

“Oh my God. Why are you so fucking annoying?!” Cady whisper-yells, opening the door and sweeping her hand in a movement that says _you may go._

Janis cackles, practically bouncing toward the door. 

“And don’t tell anyone!” Regina calls sternly after her.

Janis seems to understand the gravity of the words and nods seriously before she salutes the blonde and turns to grin at Cady. “I’m happy for you, Caddy.” Cady almost softens, but then, she sees the way Janis still looks over the moon and braces herself for the killing blow before her friend even opens her mouth again. “She’s a catch. Good body. Good mind. Seems like she fucks you well. _Sounds_ like she fucks you well is probably a more accurate statement--” 

“Out!”

Cady shoves her through the door and slams it in her face.

“Just be downstairs in the next ten minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could fit in a quickie during then,” she sings. 

“Go away, Janis!” 

***

The rest of the day, Janis sends looks Cady and Regina’s way, grinning any time they get close to each other. All of the kids, even Regina, help prep for the next day, chopping vegetables, setting out their nicest plates and silverware to be polished and cleaned. 

“It’s for the pictures I want to take, dear!” Mrs. Heron yells to Chip over the sound of her knife hitting the cutting board when he tries to complain that it’s just causing unnecessary work for the guests, and he relents the moment she bats her lashes at him and kisses his cheek. 

Their daughter is slowly inching towards Regina, seeing the way the blonde is struggling with peeling the potatoes, and, unbeknownst to Cady, Chip taps his wife on the elbow, gesturing to the way Cady is now directing Regina, her hands on top of her girlfriend’s. 

“ _I_ _told you so,_ ” he mouths, and Betsy just smiles at him. 

She loves when her husband is right about these things. 

Though Regina isn’t fully invested in the holiday quite yet, she’s still much more involved than she ever thought she would be. She’s moved on to mincing garlic into tiny pieces, Mrs. Heron even telling her that she’s doing a good job. 

“How come you never tell me I’m doing a good job, Mrs. H?” Kevin complains as he mixes the roux for the gravy in the pot. 

Betsy looks at him with a purposefully dramatic pity-filled look and pats his shoulder. 

“Oh, dear, you’re doing such a good job. Best stirrer I’ve ever known.”

The whole kitchen dissolves into laughter, Mrs. Heron fist-bumping her daughter discreetly while Kevin sticks his tongue out at a cackling Damian. 

***

By evening, they’ve prepared as much as they can. It’s just Cady’s grandparents coming over to make the crowd ten, but, as Mr. Heron explains to Regina, his wife always likes to do as little work on the day of as possible so they can all really enjoy it and be thankful. He also, shockingly, hands her an ice bucket filled with glass bottles of beer. 

“Go have fun.” He winks, pointing her in the direction of the guest house where she can already see in the window everyone sans her mother and Cady’s hanging out. “We’re gonna take our naps. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” he teases. She tentatively takes the bucket from him, unsure if it’s a test, but he just smiles broader at her, pushing her towards the door by her shoulder gently. “Get going!” 

***

When Regina wanders into the guest house, her face is still evidently shocked and Kevin laughs. 

“Don’t worry, the Herons are cool. Mr. H always said he’d rather us get drunk safely than go out and do something stupid.” 

“We can do a lot of stupid things regardless of where we get drunk,” Damian amends when Regina still seems unconvinced. “He just feels better knowing that we’re doing the stupid things here.” 

She laughs, her eyes settling on the way Cady looks in her jean shorts and t-shirt. “That makes more sense.” 

She sees Janis raise an eyebrow at the way she can’t take her eyes off of Cady’s legs, but she decidedly ignores it in favor of dropping down onto the couch. She won’t do any drinking; she’s pretty adverse to it because of the accident, but she’s ready to take as much video blackmail of all of Cady’s new friends as necessary. Especially Janis. 

***

Unsurprisingly, neither Cady nor her friends can hold their alcohol. 

Regina is sitting pretty much upright on the couch, but the problem is that she has two, quite heavy, heads in her lap: Damian’s and Kevin’s. Apparently, they begin to play nice when they’re drunk because, currently, they’re telling each other how much they appreciate each other’s friendship. They’re even holding hands while she, at their drunk insistence, scratches at both of their scalps. Regina rolls her eyes, but it’s a sweet moment. She begins to braid two little pieces of Damian’s curly hair together, but before she can finish, Janis breaks the peace, pulling both boys by one of their ankles back down onto the carpet. 

“Truth or dare, bitches,” she says, taking a sip out of her bottle as Cady returns from using the bathroom.

“Aren’t we too old for this?” Cady says, her words barely slurred as she stumbles to sit down cross legged.

“It’s tradition,” Damian snaps back. Clearly, the alcohol doesn’t dull him for long, and by the mischievous glint in his eye, Regina is quite glad she isn’t playing. 

***

Regina leans on the couch cushions watching as the questions grow more and more outrageous. Kevin had tapped out two rounds back when they told him to go sit in the snow in his boxers, his refusal shown in the way he stood up and sat down on the couch next to Regina, fist bumping her when she reached out a hand. 

Next to tap out was Janis who, when asked to explain her complicated relationship with her high school girlfriend, decided it wasn’t worth it, groaned loudly that the game was unfair, and came to sit down next to Kevin. 

Now, it’s just Damian and Cady targeting each other for every stupid thing they’ve ever done. Until tonight, Regina didn’t realize that there’s a way to win truth or dare until now, but it’s obvious that both parties still involved are on the quest for victory. 

“Truth or dare, Damian?” Cady asks after reciting every single person she had a crush on from seventh grade until now; sans Regina, of course. 

“I’ll take truth this round, Caddy. Thank you for asking,” he says cooly, leaning back against the coffee table. 

“So boring!” Janis yells from the couch, throwing one of the empty snack bags from the fridge at her friend. 

“Quiet from the peanut gallery!” Damian retorts back easily. 

Cady doesn’t seem at all affected by their arguing, interrupting what would have been a fun squabble for Regina to watch with, “fuck, marry, kill: Kevin, Janis and Regina.” 

“I swear to God, Dame--” Janis starts. 

“Well, kill Janis,” Damian says flippantly, flicking his hand in a _begone, peasant_ motion that, in Regina’s opinion, has the attitude of a true royal. Of course, he doesn’t mean it, but it still makes everyone laugh. “I’d marry Regina because I can already tell she’s going to be a rich somebody one day, and she’ll take care of me.”

“Damn right,” Regina says, raising her glass of water to clink with his beer. “Anything you want, my love.” She bites back a smile, watching the way Cady is obviously jealous of her obviously gay friend. 

“And I guess I’d fuck Kev,” Damian finishes. “Mostly because I only like men,” he says. “And I’ve always wanted to try hate sex.” 

Kevin makes an offended noise in his throat. 

“The blatant disrespect!” he says indignantly, launching himself at Damian playfully and tugging him backwards until he has his friend on the ground firmly, his cheek in the carpet and his arms pinned above his head. 

“Kinky,” Janis calls from the couch with a snicker. 

Immediately, Kevin hops up and releases his friend. 

“Ew! Janis!” he screams, kicking Damian in the stomach until the boy sits back up, wheezing dramatically like the theater major he is. 

Cady is rolling around on the floor laughing at this point, having forgotten her previous unfound jealousy. She watches as Kevin carefully eyes Janis, decidedly sitting on Regina’s other side instead, and a fresh wave of giggles washes over her. Damian interrupts sternly, clearly unhappy with the way he was just attacked by his friend because of Cady’s question. 

“Truth or dare, Caddy?” Damian drawls with zero sympathy in his voice as Cady balances her second beer in her lap. She has a happy buzz thrumming through her veins, but she also knows that alcohol makes her loose lipped, so she picks the easy option. She should probably be a little bit more afraid, considering she just unleashed an angry Kevin on him, but the alcohol clouds her judgement. 

“Dare.”

Damian pretends to think for a moment, looking around the room and at the occupants on the couch, but it’s clear he already has something in mind. 

“Give Regina a lap dance.” 

The whole room goes silent for more than a few moments, and Cady sees the way Regina sits up straighter before Kevin dissolves into snorted laughter, falling off of the couch and almost hitting his head on the coffee table. In the commotion, Regina kicks Janis. 

“What did you say to him?” she asks urgently, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

“Nothing, I swear!” Regina can feel that there’s truth in it, so she lets up, unsure where to go from here. 

She watches as Damian raises an eyebrow at Cady, obviously trying to goad his friend on. 

“Do you concede, Caddy? Do I win?” he practically sings.

“That’s not a good dare, Damian,” Cady tries to say, looking over at Regina and seeing the way her girlfriend’s cheeks are pink. “I wouldn’t want to make Regina feel uncomfortable in any way.” 

“I don’t think she is,” Damian laughs, gesturing to the way Regina has crossed her legs at the thought of Cady dancing for her. “ _Are you_ , Little George?” 

“I--”

Her cheeks flush further, and before she can say anything else, Cady rises to her feet, grabbing Regina by the sleeve of her button up to stand up from the couch before she plants her roughly in one of the chairs from the small table in the guest house’s dining room. Janis wolf whistles, grinning even wider as Cady blindly flips her off. 

“Guess you’re getting a free show, you horny virgins. Watch if you want.” Cady shrugs, and the confidence she’s displaying is enough to make Regina grip the base of the chair behind her. 

Quickly, she steps nearer to Regina, her eyes roving down over the skin exposed by the two buttons that are undone on her button up. Leaning over, she runs a hand up and over Regina’s thigh, trailing it higher until she finds a grip on the back of the chair, pressing her hips down so that she’s essentially straddling the air above her girlfriend’s hips. Her hips roll once, twice, three times, each one a strong, consistent, and seductive motion that swings Cady’s gorgeous cleavage close to Regina’s face. 

Regina’s pretty sure that if Cady keeps this up she’s going to snap the wood on the base of the chair. 

Cady gyrates her hips again, sweeping her auburn hair over one shoulder to expose the area on her neck that drives her absolutely wild, knowing it’s the best tease she can muster since, without further, and stronger, prompting, Regina isn’t going to touch. The movements of her hips grow larger until she finally grinds down into Regina’s lap, enjoying the quiet whine she hears when her bare legs make contact with the blonde’s denim-clad ones. Regina’s breath is heavy, and Cady allows a laugh to escape her throat before she backs away enough so that she can turn around. 

Distantly, Cady hears her friends whooping and hollering, but she doesn’t have the mental capacity to give them a response, not when she looks over her shoulder and finds Regina staring at her with impossibly dark eyes. At the sight, she drops herself into the other woman’s lap, grinding backwards as Regina’s eyes widen in surprise and arousal. Instantly, Cady registers her reaction, and she replicates the movement, pressing back harder, rougher, until Regina whimpers into her ear. For the first time, Regina’s body reacts overtly, her hips lifting up involuntarily into Cady’s as the redhead reaches down to peel her girlfriend’s hands away from their vice grip on the wood of the chair. Without thinking, she guides Regina’s fingers under the hem of her top like she’s done so many times, groaning when Regina grows more confident, tugging Cady backwards against her and standing up to mouth over her neck. 

“Okay, no more!” Damian cries out, throwing some of the remaining ice chips from the bucket blindly at them as he covers his eyes with his other hand. 

Cady laughs loudly, her seductive façade breaking as fast as it came on, and she detaches herself from Regina. Immediately, the blonde’s legs are jelly, and she sits back into the chair to gain back her composure. She watches as Cady’s hips sway gently as she goes back to sit and give Damian his next dare with a satisfied smirk on her face, and she can’t help but let her mind wander to the way the redhead’s body had felt so close to hers: hot and soft in all the right places. 

She wants to blame her arousal on the alcohol, but she knows she can’t, not when the beer meant for her is still sitting unopened and chilled in the bucket. 

Regardless of anything else, all Regina knows is that she needs Cady close again as soon as possible. Preferably alone. 

***

By the time Cady backs her into the bed, Regina is naked from the waist up. She doesn’t know how it always happens this way, especially considering how much she wanted to repay Cady for the godly lap dance she received, but, as always, it would be impossible to resist the current image of a gorgeous Cady Heron on top of her, even if she tried. 

If she’s honest, Regina isn’t trying at all. 

Her fingers tug at Cady’s shirt, urging it up and over her girlfriend’s head without any room for argument, and she comes face to face with another bra she’s never seen before. Her mouth goes dry, her gaze moving over Cady’s body, and her fingers wander around the back to pull the lavender fabric free, but they fumble. She struggles for a moment, her arousal so strong that it’s making her body tremble, and, finally, Cady feels bad for her, unclasping it and throwing it to the side. Like always, Regina loses her breath at the sight of Cady topless. 

Sue her, she’s a lesbian. 

Regina reaches out to touch, the tips of her fingers moving slowly, appreciatively, over the slope of each breast before she reaches around to Cady’s back once more. This time, it’s so that she can pull her girlfriend into a rough kiss, trying to assert the normal power she likes to have in bed.

Quickly, Cady rips any sort of control Regina thought she had over the situation to shreds as she gently scrapes her nails over a well muscled stomach toward the button of dark skinny jeans and shifts her lips down to the soft skin of Regina’s neck. Teeth nip gently, and the blonde whimpers quietly, her fingers tightening in auburn tresses even as Cady’s practiced tongue flicks out to run over the mark she made, sucking the spot into her mouth just enough that the touch is sure to leave a visible bruise.

A whine leaves the back of Regina’s throat, and her hips buck up, her grip tightening in Cady’s curls until she’s pulling her back. 

“Too much,” she gasps. She feels Cady retreat and breathes a sigh of relief before she feels the way the area is still throbbing deliciously. “Everyone will know.” 

More than anything, it’s a reminder to herself, since, in any other situation, Regina would already be pulling Cady back against her neck, urging her to mark her further. 

“Do you care?” Cady questions, but she’s clearly not looking for an answer. Instead, she moulds her lips back over Regina’s, silencing any debate that they might have had. “I don’t think you do,” she whispers into the blonde’s mouth. “I think you want everyone to see how I belong to you, at least from the way you were touching me when I danced for you.” In response to the words, Regina can muster no more than a quiet moan, and she swallows hard, nodding when Cady pulls back and raises her eyebrow in a way that tells her to answer. “So good for me,” Cady whispers when she sees Regina’s affirmation of her theory. 

Suddenly, Cady is popping the button on Regina’s jeans, her finger’s brushing over the blonde’s hip and down towards her center. Involuntarily, Regina’s body chases the ghost of a touch she felt against her opening, and Cady grins to herself, repeating the motion but not fully entering. 

“Stop teasing,” Regina says petulantly, her hands grabbing at Cady’s back.

“Only because we have limited time,” Cady agrees. “Otherwise I’d make you beg.” 

The words make Regina groan softly, and Cady laughs, forcing the tight jeans down until they’re around her ankles and can be kicked off. She rises back up, pulling Regina to the edge of the bed and getting on her knees to settle between long, tan legs like it’s where she belongs, her tongue moving over the crease of her thigh. Regina’s head tips back in anticipation, a breathy sigh falling from her lips that makes Cady hum with satisfaction, the vibration shooting pleasure up through Regina’s center. 

Cady’s tongue is firm and hot, darting out to tease her girlfriend’s entrance before she moves higher, circling small, precise movements over Regina’s clit with an intensity that makes the woman moan out Cady’s name and snap her hands down into her hair. Regina is beyond turned on, the memory of the movement of Cady’s hips while she danced and the sight of her between Regina’s legs causing slick to drip down her thighs. She’s pretty sure that the slightest pressure would be enough to push her over the edge.

Cady pulls back when Regina’s noises of appreciation grow louder, looking up at her with dark eyes. “I love hearing you,” she whispers. “But you have to be quiet, baby.” Regina is barely able to nod, biting her lip before Cady dives back in, pressing her mouth back over where her girlfriend needs her most. 

She arches her back, throwing one of her legs over Cady’s shoulder as she roughly turns her head to one side to bite at the pillow underneath her head when Cady’s talented tongue licks over her in a way that spirals her pleasure even higher, forcing her to drop one of her hands out of Cady’s curls to clamp over her mouth in a futile attempt to muffle a desperate mewl from the back of her throat. 

Cady’s hands slide beneath her thighs, holding them stable as Regina bucks and she teases, pulling her mouth away from the sensitive bundle of nerves she was attending too, instead barely allowing her tongue to flicker over it with a rhythm that would be considered adagio at best. Regina whimpers, the noise pitchy and needy as she jerks her hips into Cady’s touch before she feels a finger slide through her fold, gathering the slickness it finds. Regina opens her mouth to beg, her shame far gone in favor of her desperation to come, but she doesn’t need to say anything; Cady takes pity on her. She feels a finger push past her entrance, stilling for a brief moment before it slides inside fully, and Regina can do nothing to stop her body from clenching down on it, a moan falling from her lips before it’s quieted by the pillow still over her mouth. 

Cady quickens her pace, adding a second finger before her mouth fixes back over Regina’s clit, flicking over it with her tongue before she brings her lips together and _sucks_ , her fingers curling back towards Regina’s front wall with surprising and pleasurable accuracy.

Regina tugs Cady closer by the hair, and then she’s coming hard around her fingers, her body tightening around Cady’s fingers as she desperately tries to quiet herself, biting the pillow as she shudders, heat coursing through her veins as her stomach quivers for a few blissful moments. Her fingers twitch, and she cracks an eye open just in time to see Cady use the back of her hand to wipe her mouth. 

The gesture almost makes her want to go again, but it’s accompanied the words _I love you_ dangerously hanging off of her lips. She shakes herself from her arousal. 

_Get it together, Regina._

***

“So, what is it that English Literature majors actually _do?_ ” Cady’s grandmother asks her rather bluntly. 

It’s the third time Regina has been asked this question by one of Cady’s family members, though, admittedly, Mrs. Heron had asked it much more kindly. Next, it was Cady’s grandfather, who managed to ask her questions about language and implications of ethical concepts and theories presented in a more digestible way in fiction that even she herself didn’t know the answer to. 

“There are several things we do at the university,” she begins just like she did with the other two Herons. “A lot of us work in the library at school, write for the newspaper or submit our pieces to different contests around campus--”

“Yes, but what _occupation,_ dear?” 

Damn. Cady’s grandma is ruthless. 

“Well, I’m not sure what I want to do yet, since I’m only a sophomore,” Regina starts, trying to be as respectful as she can to the woman. She’s cutting her some slack; afterall, Regina had watched her inhale a whole turkey leg, and she’s pretty sure the older woman is on her third glass of wine. “But I suppose that working as a journalist, a teacher or a novelist are the most direct career paths that you could take.”

“Do any of those pay very well?” 

Regina resists the urge to just get up and walk away. She supposes she’s glad that the grey-haired woman is interested in her life, but, at the same time, she hasn’t done so much talking since the Christmas before her dad passed away. Before she opens her mouth to answer and surely sets herself to become stuck in a conversation for the next twenty minutes, Cady appears by her side, clearly sent by God judging by how radiant she still looks after a night of eating, cleaning and sneaking sips of wine from her dad when her mom isn’t looking. 

“Regina!” Cady says excitedly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up from the couch. “I’ve been looking to talk to you. Sorry to cut your conversation short, Grandma, but I need her help with something.”

The eldest Mrs. Heron’s nosy demeanor falls away the moment she sees Cady bounce into the living room in her floral print dress. “No worries, darling. We were just finishing up.” 

_No we were not,_ Regina thinks to herself. 

Cady catches sight of the disgruntled look on her girlfriend’s face, and she pulls her away before they can be dragged into conversation with anybody else. 

“Hey, let’s go,” Cady murmurs, pulling her through the kitchen and into the hallway towards the back door. 

“Lord, your grandparents, Cady?” Regina laughs out as the redhead drags her outside. “Especially your grandma. She’s ruthless!” 

“Sorry about them,” Cady giggles, sliding the door open so they can be alone on the deck in the backyard. “Can you tell she was a lawyer?”

“Makes sense,” Regina grumbles. “I felt like I was in a courtroom!” 

Cady says nothing more on the subject, just grinning at Regina as they both come to lean on the railing, hand in hand. It feels easy, perfect, with the sun just above setting, the orange fading up into the blue gently. 

“I’m glad you decided to leave campus early,” Cady tells her quietly. 

“I’m not,” Regina says back with as serious of an expression as she can muster. 

“Why- why not?” her girlfriend asks, bracing herself to be hurt.

Regina just hums, a smile playing on her lips at Cady’s self consciousness. This is it. This is the moment that she’s been unknowingly looking for. She turns to Cady. 

“There’s a girl that I know back on campus,” Regina starts, and she sees recognition in Cady’s eyes immediately. “And she told me not to go and fall for the cute girl at Thanksgiving.” 

There’s silence between them for a moment, Cady obviously contemplating the words that were just spoken to her. When there’s no response for what feels like forever, Regina goes to take the statement back, but Cady clears her throat first. 

“You’re falling for me?” There’s a tender kind of hope in her voice, the kind that always feels too intrusive to listen to. 

“No, Cady,” Regina says playfully. “Remember? This is a girl I met at Thanksgiving. I thought I knew somebody like her before, but I was totally, utterly wrong.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, to start, she’s gorgeous.” Regina smiles at the way Cady blushes. “And she’s smart as hell, but she’s _really_ bad at Scrabble, like, the worst you’ll ever meet--”

“--Hey!” 

Regina just smiles, looking over at Cady with so much adoration in her eyes. Light snow begins to fall around them, and, in the back of her mind, Regina thinks to herself that this is exactly how all of her favorite stories end: getting the girl, secrets being revealed, telling her--

“But I think I finally understand why I felt something the second I saw her. She’s so kind. And giving. And I don’t know much about anything else.” She takes a deep breath, watching as the patterned flakes dust Cady’s gorgeous auburn hair. “But I think I love her.” 

“You do?” Cady whispers shyly, her midnight eyes shining with emotion. 

“Probably the only thing I’m sure of,” Regina replies easily. “Do you think I should tell her?” she jokes, biting her lip. 

“Definitely.” Cady’s voice is breathless. “I think she would like that very much. Especially since it’s Thanksgiving. I’m sure she’s quite grateful for you. Like, can’t imagine her life without you grateful.” 

“Wow.” Regina tries not to laugh. “You really think Janis feels that way about me?” 

Cady gasps, her cheeks flushed from the cold and Regina’s previous words. 

“You jerk!” Regina snickers as Cady swats her across the chest. “Fuck you!” 

_I love you._

“You already have,” Regina teases, the corners of her mouth quirking up. 

_I love you too._

“Insufferable,” Cady grumbles to herself, brushing some of the snow out of her hair and pulling her jacket tighter around her. 

“You love it,” Regina says back automatically.

“Disappointingly, I do,” Cady admits, reaching her hand up to pull Regina down by the collar of her shirt for a kiss. 

Regina reciprocates without thinking, smiling as her hands wrap around her girlfriend’s waist, and she feels Cady’s nose brush gently against her own. It’s innocent, both of them smiling into it before it’s cut short by the sound of a cough. 

“Gonna come up for air soon?” 

Kevin remarks loudly at their embrace, calling the attention of all the other kids and Regina’s mother. The couple pulls back from each other quickly, their faces burning and the words that would affirm their love still stuck in both of their throats since there was no time to say it. 

“It’s not--” 

“--what it looks like.” 

They both speak at the same time as they blush furiously. Janis looks at them with a semblance of sympathy in her eyes, but they can also tell she’s glad she no longer has to keep any secrets from their two other friends.

“This isn’t our house,” Mrs. George says finally, a soft mischief in her eyes. “So maybe not out in the open for everyone to see, okay, Regina? Even if it is the hosts’ daughter.” 

“Mom--” 

“Mrs. G,” Cady starts. “We didn’t mean for anybody to see us--” 

“I’m sure you didn’t, honey.” She wriggles her eyebrows playfully. “I don’t really think you wanted your grandma to see that.” All of her friends laugh, and even Regina manages to crack a smile at her mom’s words. “Besides, you weren’t really fooling anybody. We’ve all known you were dating since the second my baby girl laid eyes on you on that first night.” 

“You did?” Regina asks helplessly. 

“I give you an A+ for effort, an F on execution,” her mother says gently. 

“I just didn’t know how to tell you, Mom,” Regina whispers. “With everything that happened with Dad, it felt… wrong for me to have somebody.” 

“Oh,” Mrs. George murmurs quietly, a sad smile on her face. “I could never be upset if you’re happy, baby. Your father would be so glad to know you’ve met somebody that obviously cares for you.” 

“You’re not sad?” Regina’s voice is tiny, all of the pent up worry of hiding her relationship spilling out. All of Cady’s friends are watching on, watching the conversation play out like a very quiet and solemn tennis match. 

“I’m not,” Sabrina assures her. “I’m glad to see you smiling again. I missed it.” She turns to her daughter’s girlfriend. “Thank you, Cady.” 

“Of course.” 

“Now, your grandmother wants more alcohol. Should I mix it with water?” Mrs. George laughs out, leading all of the kids back inside when she notices that the three behind her are shivering from the cold.

“That would be awesome.” Cady grins, pulling a non-clear cup from the shelf. “Here, use this. That way she won’t be able to tell.” 

Mrs. George winks at her, giving a thumbs up and filling the cup before she ushers Kevin, Janis and Damian away and heads back towards the living room. Cady goes to follow her too, but Regina pulls her back by the wrist. 

“What are you doing? Cady asks with a laugh when Regina drags her closer to kiss at her cheek, nuzzling her nose into her neck. 

“Telling the girl I love her,” Regina says smoothly, a smug smile on her face when Cady looks up at her shyly. “We got interrupted earlier.” 

“That we did,” Cady sighs out, hugging Regina back and ghosting her fingers over her spine. 

“I love you, Cady.” There’s a sureness in her voice, and it makes Cady breathless. Regina holds her closer, brushing her lips over her forehead. She feels Regina’s lungs expand and hears her heart pumping. It all feels so safe. She’s always felt protected in her girlfriend’s arms, but there’s something different about knowing that she’s _loved._

“I love you too,” Cady says back as quickly and carefully as she can, wrapping her arms around Regina’s waist and locking her fingers at the base of her spine.

Regina beams down at Cady, relief and joy evident on her face.

“Good.”

_I love you._

“Good.”

_I love you too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for sticking it out with me! if ya want, tell me what your favorite part of the whole fic was in the comments?

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! what did you think? anything you like? it makes my day when people drop me a comment, a kudo or come yell at me on tumblr @ifthebookdoesntsell


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